Railroad safety device.



T. P. CRAWFORD.

RALLROAD SAFETY DEVICE.

Patented Sept. 24, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l I M :w 2 Y L u 1 D E L H N 0 n A c U P DI A VINVENTOR flow/ms 65010/52'4 WITNESSES ATTO R N EY T. P. CR AWFORD.

RAILROAD SAFETY DEVICE,

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 25.1917. 1,279,662. PatentedSept. 24,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

iNVENTOR WITNESSES I f j W 7 raw 0) W 4 BY ATTORN EY -in its -operative relation to the railroad track UNITED STATES rarer nron.

THOMAS P. CRAWFORD, OF PARIS, ARKANSAS.

RAILROAD SAFETY DEVICE.

track.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved means for securing railroad railsto the ties, and thereby hold the rails securely under normal conditions. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means for preventing the wheels of a truck from leaving the rails of v the railway.

Another object isto provide a device of this character which may be applied torailway trucks of ordinary construction so that these devices may be universally used on all forms of railway rolling stock.

. Another object is to provide a device of this character whichis so simple of construction that the cost of manufacturing is reduced to the minimum. 7

Other objects and advantages may become apparent to persons who read the following description in connection with the appended drawings inwhich;

Figure 1 is an elevation view of the device rails.

2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but f showing the device in a position between its operative position and its-fully retracted position. i

Fig. 3is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3'3 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 4 is a detailed perspective view illustrating some of the parts inposition to be assembled.

Referring to the drawingv in detail, in

whlch slmilar reference characters correspond with similar parts throughout the several views, the truck frame 10, wheels 11 axles 12 and ties 13, being of ordinary construction, are not described in detail. The rails 14, are of special construction each being provided with a flange 15 which overhangs the inner base flange 16 and is pro- Specification of Letters Patent.

, end secured to the member 19,:while its other Patented Sept. 24,1918.

Application filed Ju1y25,1917. Serial No. 182,734.

vided 'with downwardly extending outer portion17, so that the inner wall 18 of each rall web and the under side of the adjacent flange 15 providesa groovewhich is sub, stantially in the shapeof an acute angle, when viewed in cross section.

7 Upon each frame 10 is mounted a pair. of vertically disposed bars or supports 19, each of which has pivotally mounted thereon a bearing member 20, the pivots thereof being indicated at 21. Each of the members 19 and 20 is provided with a shoulder'22, and the shoulder 22 of each member 20: abuts against the similar shoulder of the adjacent member 19, so as to ,limit mo vement .ofeach member '20 in one' direction. I V

Each member 20 has a roller 23 torotate thereon and. to engage withthe longitudinal groove under the adjacent rail flange or head 15. Each member119v and the mounted corresponding members 2O and 21 maybe considered as a carrier for the corresponding roller 2? ,a nd each of these carriers is provided with a retractile spring24; having one end is secured to the adjacent memberw20fl It will be seen, therefore, thajtithe springs 24 each tends to move the adjacent members 20 into the position shownfin Fig. 1, so

that the rollers 23 are engagedfwith the respective flanges 15 when. it is desirable to have them in such engagement. However, for the purpose of moving the rollers '23 out of engagement .with the rails 14 andout ofythe way of-switchnrails, frogs,;.

pair of links 25 which arefpivotally' :con-' nected together at 26 and areeach connected .and other. impediments, I have provided a with one of the members 20 by means of a pivot 27. Each ofthe links e'smay be provided with a shoulder 28 and these shoulders L engage with one another when in ,normal position, as shown 'inFig. 1.1 However, the

links 25 may be ni o'vedupward into and be yond the position shown-in Fig.2when it is desirable to avoid collision withs witch rails and. other impediments. Any appropriate means may be employed for moving" the links 25 upward, but the means shown in the present embodiment of my invention consists of a chain 29 which is secured to the links 25 by means of their pivot 26 and a substantially U-shaped member 30which is apertured for reception of the bolt or pivot 26. In order that the chain 29 may be extended forward or rearward to engage with any appropriate means for drawing the same, I provide a roller or sheave wheel 31, which rotates on an axle 32 supported by bearings 33 which latter are supported by the frame 10.

It is well known that centrifugal force sometimes causes a locomotive or car to leave the track when it is attempting to move around a curved track at high speed. It will be readily seen this device effectually prevents the car or locomotive from leaving the track while the device is in the Operative position shown in Fig. 1.

In order to improve this device so as to prevent the rails from being unseated thereby, I provide improved devices for fastening the rails 14 to the ties 13, each of these devices consisting of a hooked member 34 and an apertured member 35. Each rail 14 is apertured at 36 for the reception of one end of the member 35, which latter is apertured at one end to receive the adjacent book 37 of the member 34. The

members 34 and 35 are each preferably' formed of heavy strap iron, and each is provided with a quarter turn at 38, at the edge of the adjacent rail flange 16; and at this point each member 34 and 35 is bent downward from the base flange 16 and lies flat against the adjacent vertical side of the tie 1 Spikes, bolts or other appropriate means 36 may be employed for securing the straps or fasteners 34 and 35 to the tie 13.

The rails 14 are much more securely fixed to the ties than if the ordinary securing means were employed. This is true because the members 34 and 35 exert a lateral pull upon the fastening means 36, whereas, the ordinary rail spikes are pulled longitudinally when the rail tends to move away from the ties 13. Therefore, it is impossible for the rolling stock which is equipped with this improved securing device to move from its intended course without carrying with it the rail and ties of the railroad, so that the accidents by centrifugal force are effectually prevented.

My invention is not limited to the exact details of construction and arrangement of WVhat I claim is: 1. The combination with railway rails and a truck thereon, of a support on said truck, a roller movable into engagement with one of the rails, a member pivotally mounted on said support and carrying said roller, a spring secured to said member and operable to cause the latter to move its roller into engagement with said rail, and means cooperating with the said spring for securingsaid roller in engagement with the rail.

2. The combination with railway rails and a truck thereon, of a support on said truck, a roller movable into engagement with one of the rails, a member pivotally mounted on said support and carrying said roller, a spring secured to said member and operable to cause the latter to move its roller int engagement with saidrail, and means cooperatingwith the said spring for securing said roller in engagement with the rail, said means being operable to move said roller against the tension of the spring and outof engagement with the rail.

3. In combination, a rail having alateral flange, a truck, a member pivoted to the truck and limited in its outward movement,

a spring extending across the pivotal joint of said member and normally tending to move the same outward, an element mounted on the pivoted member'and adapted to engage under the flange of the rail, and.

means associated with the pivoted member to move thesame against the action of the cooperating spring and also servingas looking means to hold the rail engaging element in contact with the flange thereof.

4. In combination, track rails having inner flanges, a truck on the track rails, laterally swinging members pivoted to the truck and provided with elements to engageunder flanges of the track rails, springs extending across thepivoted points of the laterally swinging members and normally tendlng t swing them outward, rule-jointed links connectlngthe laterally swinging members and constituting operating andv locking means therefor, and means for breaking the joint of the links upward;

THOMAS P. CRAWFORD.

Witnesses:

G150. L. CRAVEN, A. B. HARDWIOKE.

Ooplucf this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioncrof Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

